Crew 187 Journalist Report 25Jan2018
English
[Sol 14]
[Jurassic
Park]
The previous night was long between debates, talks and a delicious ramen soup with meat. Five hours later, it was time to prepare for the last day of work here and the last exploration.
Exploration that by the way had several facets between risk and danger, adventure and adrenaline, emotion, admiration and the Martian. A path of rocks and red plains until the deviation 1101 that started the route with positive and negative drops, jumps and another thousand rocks.
In our vehicles we reached the end of the road where vestiges of ancient or extraterrestrial civilizations had left what appeared to be a container of food and drink where the effect of oxygen with metals would have done its job. We are not alone.
On the left, you can see the trace of what was millions of years ago. Rock formations that would only be possible elsewhere on Earth, in Utah. More than 20 meters in a rigid labyrinth in multiple shades looks out. It would be much easier to go down without our spacesuits but in the end who would like to close their eyes here.
Seeing the ground is also allowed. The rocks here are rare, different, of many colors and ages. From the voice of our almost geologist of the expedition, the area was watery with calm, agitated times and floods or so it seems with the sediments framed in its walls.
Further ahead and in the distance in something similar to a road for Martian ships we observe their passage at interesting speeds, where will they go? Will there have been a Hanksville on Mars? It would be a great coincidence.
With the Sun on our shoulders the way back is the destiny. The ground is full of small rocks that seem not to be rocks. Were there corals on Mars? Antelopes? And snails? Seems that yes. Maybe there was also a Jurassic age here, or that´s what our little Martian souvenirs show.
When the hunger appears there is no worry, the food was enough. At least we managed to lose a few extra kilos. Today we ate a good buffet, although the idea of having Peruvian, Colombian and Mexican food on the plate soon makes our small stomachs resonate.
When the first star shone in the sky of this sol, we all together went to listen to the desert, the nothing, feel the wind and cold, but especially to share our last candies as Martians. And me, I do not even want to think about the end, tomorrow and the farewell, in my life on Earth without their laugh, jokes and presence. Happy last day as Martians.
LATAM II will continue to inform
Tania Robles, MDRS Crew 187 Journalist